Cutting mechanism for assembling apparatus and methods



CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29. 1954 Jan. 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER l3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER ATTORNEYS Y Jan? 1965 5. J. GARTNER 3,165,126

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 v 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER BY %MZ My ATTORNEYS Jam-12, 1965 s. J. GARTNER 3,165,126

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29; 1954 13 sh t s 3 INVENTOR. 17' 3 STANLEY JGARTNER BY%MZW ATTORNEYS 5. J. GARTNER 3,165,126

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 12, 1965 Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 Jan. 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER 3,165,126

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 13 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER BY %M/ M ATTORNEYS CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 Jan. 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER 13 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1965 s. J. GARTNER 3,165,126

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 13 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR.

STANLEY J. GARTNER ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER CUTTING MECHANISM FQR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 I W ii W INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER MX W ATTORNEYS CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 Jan. 12, 1965 s. J. GARTNER 13 Sheets-Sheet 9 YNVENTOR.

STANLEY J. GARTNER BY W ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29. 1954 13 Sheets-Sheet 10 INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER M X M ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER 3,

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 15 s s 11 INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER ATTORNEYS Jan 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER 3,165,126

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29, 1954 13 sheets sheet 12 STANLEY J. GARTNER ATTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1965 5. J. GARTNER CUTTING MECHANISM FOR ASSEMBLING APPARATUS AND METHODS Original Filed Jan. 29. 1954 13 Sheets-Sheet 13 I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I.I. .l. TR

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0 80 IO0I20 I40I60 180200220240260280300320340 0 20 40 I00 I20 I40 I60 I80 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 INVENTOR. STANLEY J. GARTNER BY M1 42 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 Claims. (Cl. 149-440) This application is a division of application Serial No. 171,745 filed February 7, 1962 which is a division of application Serial No. 406,930, now US. Patent No. 3,069,- 749 of December 25, 1962.

The present invention relates generally to cutting mechanisms used in connection with methods and apparatus for automatically assembling parts, particularly the component parts of a mount or electrode assembly of an electronic tube or the like.

During the several decades of technical development and commercial exploitation of vacuum tubes and the like there has been a persistent need for improved methods of assembly and for automatic assembling apparatus for the electrodes of such devices. Some early machines were devised that were adapted to assemble simple types of mounts but even these were unsuccessful to my knowledge.

For many years, tubes have included many electrodes, and with the development of the hearing aid and the proximity fuze, the dimensions of many types of tubes have been greatly reduced. It will be recognized that as mounts are made progressively smaller, manual assembly without deforming the delicate electrodes becomes progressively more difficult. In the event that a mount is assembled imperfectly, perhaps including a deformed electrode, the defective nature of the mount may not be detected until after the mount is sealed in its envelope as finally exhausted and completed. At this stage, it is revealed as defective after it represents a far greater expenditure that is represented by the mount itself. In other words, manual assembly techniques tend to deform the electrodes in such a way that defective mounts are often detected after the tube construction has advanced to an expensive stage. The methods and apparatus provided by the tube construction has advanced to an expensive stage. The methods and apparatus provided by the present invention vastly reduce this tendency to deform electrodes; and any deformation produced occasionally is so prominent as to be immediately detected and the mount can be rejected while still representing comparatively small cost.

It is accordingly an important object of the present in vention to provide new and improved methods and apparatus for automatically assembling electronic tube mounts and the like. A further object is to automatically assemble electrodes of even small and complicated mounts in rapid, precise and automatic routine.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention detailed below the electrodes are assembled in proper mutual relationship. The mount as finished in the disclosed embodiment includes a stem on which the electrode assembly is supported, the stem consisting of a glass button or header through which are sealed a set of wires. These serve as terminal connectors and mechanical supports of the electrodes later assembled on the wires. The header usually serves as the end of a tube envelope.

Stems are ordinarily prepared in molding machines which locate the wires in the glass header with relatively broad tolerance. A feature of the present invention is in the tailoring or trimming of the leads to accurately determined lengths; and a further feature is in the adjustment of the lead positions to close tolerance, for consistent and reliable operation of the assembling machine and further to assure consistent, accurate duplication of the automatically assembled mounts. In accomplishing this purpose the machine handles the stems and is effective to adjust the way in which the stems are held so as to perfect the positioning of the wires; and that elfect is further enhanced by devices which trim certain of the wires to critical lengths spaced from the glass portion and to bend certain of the wires, where necessary, into the optimum pattern on which the remainder of the operations depend.

The machine includes a conveyor which carries a number of work holders from each of a series of stations to the next, step-wise. Because of the small dimensions of the illustrative mount being assembled and the consequent close tolerances involved it is important that the conveyor should consistently advance the work holders to an accurate position in each station. Ordinary conveyor mechanisms such as the usual chain conveyor tend to introduce slack and in this way tend to defeat the objective of accurate transport of the work holders. A feature of this invention resides in a conveyor having unusually large links and correspondingly having relatively few links. A subsidiary feature relates to the conveyor that is disposed about a pair of sprockets one of which is movable to and from the other so as to accommodate the travel of the large links about those sprockets. The use of an odd number of links minimizes the motion of the movable sprocket, and the consequent impacts on the frame and in the drive are minimized.

In the illustrative machine, the previously molded glassand-wire stems are loaded manually onto a conveyor plate with rough preliminary orientation. A feature of the invention resides in the techniques and mechanisms for handling the glass-and-Wire stem during its transfer from the initial feed plate to the work holders of the main conveyor, so as to preserve and improve the initial orientation and to effect this transfer in a simple manner well suited to specialized forms of stems.

The completed mount in this illustrative disclosure involves parallel insulated discs customarily of pierced mica which fix the spacing between the electrodes precisely. As previously mentioned the wires of the stem are adjusted in the machine into an accurate pattern. In this illustrative machine an important feature is in the provision of a piercing die for forming the holes in the mica while each mica is held in the very element utilized to transfer and apply the mica to stem wires and, in the case of the top mica, to certain of the electrodes.

That portion of the machine which locates the stem in the work-holder and trims the wires to critical lengths constitutes a useful combination; but if the machine accomplished no more, it might well be considered uneconomical. Ordinarily, stems are manually inserted into a trimming die. An important feature of this invention is in not merely trimming the stem leads, but accomplishing the further mount-assembly operations on the stem as trimmed and oriented in the trimming operation. The consistent orientation of the stems and the consistent trimming of the leads at a uniform distance from the workholder establishes .a uniform condition of the stem utilized in assembly of the additional parts, with consistent accuracy and success.

The first mica'to be assembled has an accurate pattern of pierced holes. Certain stern wires enter certain of the pierced holes in the mica when the mica is assembled to the stem. Those wires are then engaged andutilized in subsequent assembly operations, to pick up and accurately locate the mica so that electrodes may automatically be assembled to the mica with portions of those electrodes extending through additional pierced holes in the mica.

The mica is oriented indirectly.

A further feature of the present invention resides in theinsertion of the side rods of the usual helically wound gridholes pierced in a mica after the mica is on the stem wires. This is accomplished by applying the mica to the stem wires at an intermediate position and to supply thrustresisting backing for the mica while inserting the grid, and finally thegrid and mica are pushed all the way to the short wires on the stem. A further feature resides in the welding of agrip stop to one of the grid side rods so as to prevent appreciable shifting of the grid in the completed tube, and toaccomplish this despite extremely small dimensions involved in the illustrative mount to which the invention is applied. This is accomplished when the mica is at an intermediate position (such that both sides of the mica are easily accessible) and after grid insertion. The stop is applied to the grid side rod with the mica in this position, and thereafter the mica and grid subassembly is advanced to its final position on the stem wires. The welding tools serve not only to weld, but to transport the grid stop to position and to furnish thrust resistance behind the mica during insertion of the grid.

A further feature of the invention resides in the assemblyof a second grid telescopically about the first while of a pentod'e; and a two-part anode in the form of two preformed anode plates is automatically assembled to the mount thus far completed.

In this machine a second mica is applied to the projecting ends of the electrodes opposite the first mica; and a further part is assembled to the mount to lock the mica in place and to interconnect the parts of a two-part anode.

One of those electrodes that penetrates the top mica is seized and oriented for indirectly orienting the top mica in this assembling operation, a feature that is found in other form in the grid-mounting stations.

A desirable minimum number of welding operations is effected for permanently retaining the assembly of the electrodes and other parts in the initial accurate configuration produced by the uniformly repeated operations of the machine. I

Included in several stations are various important forms of tools which, like the gathering tools in the cutting station, embrace the parts of the partial mount while a further component is advanced into place. An especially useful and novel form of gathering tool used in combination with assembling mechanisms in several of the stations involves jaws which close on each other and, when closed, present a pattern of apertures with flared openirigs facing the stem holder. They advance on and receive the stem wires, and having established orientation desired for an assembly operation, are laterally separated and withdrawn. Certain split tools have flared openings facing toward the'stern and flared openings facing away from the stern. These advance on the stem to receive and orient a pattern of wires while also acting to direct a further part, such as a grid or an anode part, in a precise path toward the partial mount. These and further detailed yet important features of the invention will be better appreciated from the specific description of the various tools involved.

In the event of misoperation, it may happen that a mount is deformed by the apparatus. Such deformed mount is prominently defective and is readily deteced upon inspection and rejected as it emerges from the machine, long before it can reach the envelope sealing and evacuating stage of manufacture of electron tubes. This is a valuable aspect of the invention. The mount as it emerges iat the assembling stage of tube manufacture can be rejected at low cost if it should be found defective. in contrast, manually assembled mounts with no prominent visual defect are assembled into completed, sealed and exhausted tubes, and at this stage there is a very substantial rate of rejection. The rate of rejection of compl ted tubes containing mounts prepared under the present invention is sharply reduced.

Further features of novelty will be appreciated from the illustrative disclosures that follows. it will naturally be understood that certain aspects and features of the described embodiment may be omitted as required and that certain features are useful in other combinations. However the entire organization is admirably adapted to achieve the broad purposes of assembling and uniting the electrodes of a mount, particularly in assembling numerous electrodes of a subrniniature mount. In the detailed disclosure reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming part of the present disclosure. In the drawings:

PIGS. lA and 1B are a plan View of an illustrative mount machine embodying features of the present invention, including the work conveyor and portions of the coordinating drive and cam mechanisms of the various work stations, showing in greatly enlarged perspective the progress of a typical mount during passage through the several work stations of the machine but omitting those stations;

1 1G. 2 is an elevation in cross-section along the line 22 of FIG. 1 but at larger scale, showing the jawopening mechanisms for the stem blocks or work holders and the drive mechanism of the several stations of the machines;

FIG. 2A is a portion of FIG. 1A at larger scale showing details of the link conveyor for the stem block and the guide mechanisms for maintaining the stem block along a predetermined path during travel through successive stations;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, with parts broken away and sectioned, showing the details of the work holder or stem block;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view talren substantially along the line 4 of HG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of the stem block illustrated in F168. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is an elevation, certain parts sectioned and broken away, showing portions of the mechanism of FIG. 1A together with the stem-loading mechanisms as station A of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 7 is an eniarged fragmentary elevation, viewed generally from the line 7i of FIG. 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows showing the turret indexing mechanism;

PEG. 8 is an elevation, with some parts broken away and shown in section taken substantially along the line t-= of FIG. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the details of transfer fingers for displacing successive stems from the feed turret onto a two part transfer member;

FIG. 8A is an elevation showing the details of a split funnel guide interposed between the transfer member and the stem block in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the details of the two part transfer member of FIG. 6 with a stem loaded therein ready for transfer;

FIG. 10 is a four stage progressive illustration of the transfer member of FIG. 6 in successive positions of movement from receiving a stem at the feed turret to delivering the stem through the split guide to the stem block;

PIG. 10A is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing stem on the feed turret together with part of the transfer member, as viewed just prior to the first diagrammatic showing of FIG. 10;

FIG. 11 is a plan view with parts broken away and sectioned showing the operating mechanisms and the general arrangement or" the mechanism in the lead-trimming station B of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 12 is a detail view, with parts broken away and sectioned, taken along the line 1212 of FIG. 11 and looking in the direction of the arrows, showing details of the stationary cutting die and movable cutting tools;

FIG. 13 is a view, partially in section along the line 13-13 of FIG. 12 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 14 is an elevation, substantially as viewed from the line 14-14 of FIG. 11 showing the operating mechanisms for moving the combing and gathering tools at the lead-trimming station;

FIG. 15 is a greatly enlarged diagrammatic view, as seen from the stem block at the lead-trimming station B, showing details of the combing and gathering tools as partially engaged with the projecting leads of a stem shown in cross-section;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged elevation, with parts in section, showing the tools of FIGS. 11 through 14 engaged about the projecting stern leads or wires immediately adjacent the molded base of the stem preparatory to the combing operation, together with the cutting die that is shown along a thrust path spaced from the free extremities of the uncombed leads;

FIG. 16A is a view taken along the line 16A16A of FIG. 16, showing the combing and gathering tools following the partially retracted position of FIG. 15 and fully engaged about the leads;

FIG. 17 is a view somewhat similar to FIG. 16 but showing the combing and gathering tools at the end of their combing stroke away from the stem block and prior to being withdrawn, the cutting die having advanced over the patterned ends of the leads;

FIG. 18 is a view showing the final stage of operation at the lead-trimming station B in which the combing and gathering tools have been withdrawn, the cutting die has advanced to the end of its forward stroke toward the stem block, and the jaws of the stem block have opened to permit rotational orientation of the stem block by the advanced cutting die;

FIG. 18A is an elevation in section along the line of 18A-18A of FIG. 18 and looking in the direction of the arrows, with parts broken away and in section, showing opposed cutters in operative position for cutting predetermined leads of the stem to various lengths, the retracte positions of the opposed movable cutters being shown by the dot-dash lines;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary plan view of the operating mechanisms and general arrangement of the lead-swaging station C of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 20 is an elevation illustrating portions of the mechanism in FIG. 19, showing the respective operating mechanisms for combing and swaging tools;

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary elevation of the tools and operating mechanisms of FIG. 19, drawn to larger scale, with the combing tools advanced on the leads of the supported stem;

FIG. 22 is an enlarged perspective view, with parts broken away and sectioned, showing the gathering and combing tools of FIG. 19 separated and with a detecting finger interposed therebetween;

FIG. 23 is a plan view of a stem block, shown supporting a stem with the leads cut to various lengths to be worked on at the station C, with the swaging tools of FIG. 19 spaced apart and in position to advance on selected leads of the stem, and with the combing and gathering tools separated and trailing tie swaging tools;

FIG. 24 is a view similar to FIG. 23 but at a later time in the cycle showing the combing and gathering tools engaged about the longest length leads in a position to be advanced end-wise along a predetermined thrust path over the intermediate length leads, the swaging tools being disposed at offset locations prior to advance transverse of the stem axis;

FIG. 25 is a view similar to FIG. 24 near the end of the cycle showing the combing and gathering tools advanced over the intermediate length leads, the swaging tools in engagement with the leads to be swaged, and the jaws of the stem block separated by the jaw-opening wedges so that the stem is supported by the advanced combing and gathering tools;

FIG. 26 is a sectional view taken along the line 26-26 of FIG. 25 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the swaging tools engaging certain leads of the stem.

FIG. 27 is the timing chart of the conveyor and stem block operating mechanism of FIGS. 1A and 1B; and

FIGS. 28, 29 and 30 are respective timing charts of the mechanism in stations A, B and C.

Introduction In FIGS. 1A and 1B there is shown the plan view of a conveyor 12 and associated operating mechanisms for assembling a number of electrodes to a stem made up of wires sealed in a glass header h. The assembly of the electrodes and the stem is termed a mount in the art. Such a assembly may be of various sizes, and the principles here involved with be recognized as applicable to a wide range of designs of mounts and the like. However, the present machine is particularly adapted, by the solution of numerous special problems, to the assembly of mounts of extremely small proportions. The tube used in this illustrative embodiment is a pentode having a twopart anode, a Wire or rod suppressor, a screen grid, and a control grid, all of whichv extend parallel to the length of the tube and are fixed in relative spacing each from the others by an insulating wafer at each end of the electrode assemblies, usually of mica. The particular tube is intended to receive a filamentary cathode that is manually added to the mount after the mount is delivered by this assembling machine. The diameter of the tube being fabricated is the so-called T-3 size, that is, approximately outside diameter of the glass enclosing envelope.

The tube is assembled by commencing with a stem or header that is loaded into a conveyor and is transported step-wise past a series of operating stations A to L inclusive where the header wires are either shaped by cutting and swaging or where one or more of the electrodes and the micas are assembled or welded to produce the completed mount. The extremely small dimensions of the mount being assembled represent a controlling consideration throughout the machine. Thus, the machine itself forms certain of the mount parts in accurate configuration so that the part will be in perfect orientation for assembling and so that, when the sub-assembly leaving one station reaches a succeeding station, the various parts of the sub-assembly will be in accurate position and relative arrangement for the operation at that succeeding station.

In FIG. 1A three stations, A, B, and C are seen where a stem block It) on the linked conveyor 12 comes to rest successively. At the first station A, glass header I: having sealed wires 1 to 9 inclusive, is mechanically loaded on the conveyor in proper position for the further operations in the succeeding stations B and C. Wires 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, extend from the wafer header h in particular positions appropriate for succeeding operations which are effected at further stations during the travel of the conveyor between the stem-loading and unloading positions A and L.

By loading the stem into the machine with the wires 1 to 9 inclusive of equal length and longer than the longest wire needed, it becomes possible to trim the wires to lengths required during further assembly operations, all accurately in relation to a common reference, namely, the wafer header h. In the final part of the connection to the two anode plates) have swaged abutments at the plane of cut leads 2, 8 and 9 the bottom mica bm.

By loading an uncut and unswaged stem into the stern loading station A, it becomes possible to cut certain leads to critical lengths at a further station, and at a still furfor supporting I ther station to swage accurately located shoulders on certain leads, thereby, defining the bottom mica plane. This may be accomplished with the assurance that, although the trimming and swaging are eifected at different stations, the operations are consistently related to each other-by the accurate orientation of the stem at each of the stations, both as to the end-wise positioning of the Wire and as to the wire pattern presented at each station to the operating tools.

Wires 6 and 7 ultimately serve as suppressor electrodes, and are also utilized to support and connect the filamentary cathode. At the cutting or trimming station B, leads 6 and 7 remain uncut and are of the same full length as when received in the stem loading station A; but two other sets of leads are trimmed to different lengths, specifically leads 2, 8 and 9, are trimmed to very short lengths equal to the spacing between the glass header h and the bottom mica bin, and leads ll, 3, 5, and 5 disposed in an approximately a square pattern, are trimmed to a'medium length such as to penetrate the bottom mica bm and extend part way toward the top mica me.

In station C, two of the medium length leads, namely 1 and 4, are swaged to provide a shoulder or abutment at the same separation from the header h as the ends of Wires 2, 8, and 9. The position of the swaged shoulders S and the cut ends of the Wires 2, 8, 9 are all of a high order of accuracy because of the accurate grip of header h in a stem holder and the holder is located precisely at each station in the machine. It is an important feature that the header his seated in its holder and is maintained in a very definite fixed plane in its traverse through the machine from station to station, and further that each of the wires, 1 to 9 inclusive, remains in a very accurately established position endwise and transversely. It will be seen that in some of the stations the accuracy of the positioning of these wires and their pattern is reestablished and carefully readjusted.

It will be understood that the header h as formed in a stem molding machine carries the wires 1 to 9 in a pattern whose accuracy and consistency is limited, considering the requirement of stem molding dies that the wires should be loosely received; and because automatic assembling of a mount must not be impeded by variations in the pattern or distribution of the wires, stations A, B and C of the present machines are adapted to receive Wire patterns of coarse tolerance and adjust the pattern of wires to close tolerance, before other parts are assembled.

In station D, the bottom mica bm is applied to wires 6 and 7 and pushed part Way down the lengths of these Wires but not to the final position where it is pierced by medium length wires 1, 3, 4 and 5 and rests against the ends of short wiresZ, 8, and 9, and the swaged shoulders S of the wires 1 and 4.

At the bottom mica-applying station D (see FIG. 113) an important principle of the machine is utilized further and again illustrated. The accurately oriented wires whose positions are fixed in the stem-loading station A and adjusted in both the cutting and swaging station 'B and C are to receive a bottom mica having a pattern of holes. The machine itself forms the holes immediately prior to application of the bottom mica to the wires. Thus the holes which are to be penetrated by the uncut reference Wires 6 and 7 are in the proper positions and relative spacing to assure that the bottom mica bm can be mechanically thrust against the wire ends, in alignment with the corresponding holes. The remainder of the holes are accurately distributed to receive the medium length Wires 1, 3, 4 and 5 that were correspondingly accurately adjusted in the previous stations B and C. These Wires penetrate mica bin at a later station when mica bin is pressed against stops provided by the ends of short reads 2., S, and 9.

At this station D a further mechanism is included for shifting the short wires to definite positions, when necessary, so that such wires will assuredly not obstruct the side rods of grids that are later inserted.

in the next station E (with the bottom mica bm supported in its intermediate position along the uncut reference wires 6 and 7) a grid gl is inserted into two of the holes of the bottom mica which are properly located for receiving the grid side rods. This is effected by accurate orientation of the wires 6 and 7, which act in turn to carry the pierced bottom mica into accurate position for receiving those side rods. Since the bottom mica but is perforated in the machine, specifically at the station D, no precaution is required to prevent inversion of the hole pattern such as might occur if the bottom mica were formed separately and subsequently loaded into this assembling machine. Thereafter, at station E, a metal sleeve, or grid stop gs is formed in the machine and applied to the end of a side rod of grid gl that projects through the bottom mica, to hold the grid g1 firmly against the bottom mica bm. This grid stop is welded to one of the side rods of the grid gl at the underside of the bottom mica bm. The sleeve gs, is extremely tiny, when it is borne in mind that the bottom mica bin is of the order of /4" in diameter. The grid stop is not handled as a separate part but is cut, formed, applied, and welded, entirely Within station E. The spacing provided between header h and the bottom mica but in its preliminary position facilitates the assembling and welding operations. Later, when the bottom mica but is advanced to its final position, there is little clearance for application of Welding tools.

The other side rod of grid g1, extending through the bottom mica bm, ultimately is disposed close to short wire 9 which terminates at the lower face of the bottom mica bin; and in a welding step expediently eilected manually, that side rod is joined to wire 9 which con stitutes the lead conductor for the #1 grid in the finished, sealed tube.

At the next station F, a second grid g2; is mounted coaxially of and around g3 and the side rods of the grid g2 are forced through the accurately located holes in bottom mica bin; and then the subassembly of grids gll and g2 and bottom mica are advanced to their final position with the bottom mica in the assembly plane defined by short wires 2, 8 and 9', and abutting against the swaged portions 5 of medium length leads 1 and 4.

In the grid-applying stations E- and F the bottom mica but is in its intermediate position during the insertion of each of the grids g1 and g2. After the grids have been inserted, the bottom mica bm is finally seated. In the next following stations G and H two portions of a two-part anode may he successively thrust into position on opposite sides of the grids gt, g2 and against the accurately located bottom mica. The two part anode includes a front part a on leads 3 and 4, and a second part a on leads 1 and 5.

ln station I a top mica rm is pierced and applied to the long wires 6 and 7 as was the bottom mica bm in station E In the following stations I and K, wire straps or hairpins are formed and inserted for interconnecting the two parts a of the anode, and to hold the top mica tin in place against the top edges of the anode parts. Finally, in the station L of the machine, the excessively long, previously uncut reference wires 6 and 7 are trimmed to a desired length, and the assembled mount is unloaded from the machine.

A further principle will be seen, applied repeatedly in various stations of the machine. In loading the stem into the stem blocks at the station A, the relatively fixed pattern of wires at the locations where they emerge from header h is used as a reference. In stations B and C where the wires are cut and swaged, and in the other stations where the uncut or long wires and electrode side rods are held, the possibility exists that any of those long wires or the electrode side rods may be deflected from the reliable pattern defined by the wires closely adjacent the header and/ or by the bottom and top micas bm and im. In stations, B, C, and D, the long and slender wires extend to unreliable positions at their free ends. The apparatus engages the wires close to the header where the wire pattern may be relied on, and a combing pattern of tool apertures is formed and then moved perpendicularly away from the header h to the position where the cutting die, the swaging die, or the mica-applying head is to engage the previously unsupported and unreliably positioned wire ends. These cutting, swaging and assembling tools then advance along the wires toward the header in a reverse stroke, to reach their final working positions.

The Conveyor and Main Drive Before describing the mechanisms at the several work stations, from the stem loading station A to the final trimming and unloading station L, the novel step-wise conveyor shown in FIGS. 1A and 18 should be properly appreciated. In one respect it might be ideal if the several stem blocks 10 which hold the individual stems at spaces equal to the spaces between the various Work stations were one rigid disc or turret. In that event their relative spacings might conceivably be rigidly and invariably fixed. The location of the work mechanisms would then require most remarkable precision, and thermal dimension changes would require special accommodation. In contrast, stem blocks 19 are carried by a link conveyor in the machine described, in a semifioating condition so that they can be accurately located in each station by mechanism at that station, and to use a linked conveyor, sprocket-supported at its opposite extremities. This concept is applied in my copending application Ser. No. 790,570 filed Dec. 9, 1947. It is of special advantage that a minimum number of strong large links should be used. This minimizes stretching of the links and minimizes the total effect on the conveyor of the looseness and wear at individual pivots,- contrasting in this respect from conventional chain conveyors.

Where large links are used, that are wrapped around a pair of spaced drive and guide sprockets, provision should be made for the sprocket shafts to move toward and away from each other as each large link approaches a sprocket, swings around the sprocket, and then leaves. This motion should be minimized to avoid excessive stresses on the conveyor with resulting unreliable po sitioning of the work holders in the work stations. This sprocket motion is minimized by using an odd number of large links, to insure the presence of one link at only one sprocket, that extends across the line of the two sprocket shafts, while at the opposite sprocket a pair of links form a ti-configuration. This condition of a flat link at one end and V links at the other changes as the conveyor advances with this V first at one sprocket and then at the other. The arrangement promotes smooth conveyor operation. Because of the large size of the individual links, one of the sprockets is mounted with a yielding bearing permitting sliding movement toward and away from the opposite fixed-shaft sprocket. If a flat link were to pass around a sprocket at one end and a corresponding flat link were to pass around a sprocket at the opposite end, followed by the V-joint between the two links being disposed at one end of the conveyor and a corresponding V-joint at the opposite sprocket, then the yieldably supported sprocket would bounce excessively, perhaps to a damaging degree. Also, vibrations would be produced which are undesireable especially in a delicate assembly operation as is here involved.

Accordingly, conveyor 12 is made of an odd number of links 12, forty-five in the present case, each third link 12a bearing a stern block 10. There are twelve work stations in the machine, with one stem block at each station and with three additional stem blocks in transit around the end sprockets 14 and 16. The end sprocket 16 has a suitable bearing 17 that is horizontally slida'ole to and from the end sprocket 14, and is spring biased away from sprocket 14, for tensioning conveyor chain 12. The conveyor 12 advances step-wise around bed 11. A main drive shaft 18 driven from a motor (not shown) is provided which furnishes power to a suitable intermittent rotary drive transmission 13 (see FIG. 1) effective for indexing sprocket 14, at a time followed by idle intervals. A specially desirable form of such intermittent drive transmission 13 for this machine is disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 294,902 filed June 21, 1952. Since sprocket 14 has six radial sprocket teeth spaced one conveyor link apart, the conveyor advances three links, identified with one stem block, for each advance of sprocket 14. Drive shaft 18 is geared to rotate shaft 20 continuously and thereby operate a series of control cams to be described, and shaft 18 is also coupled via gearing 22 to rotate a series of vertical drive shafts for furnishing continuous synchronised rotary power for shafts 23 at the various work stations spaced along the conveyor.

Sprocket 14 has a pair of pins 24 which are engaged by a locking detent 26 for arresting and locating the conveyor in the intervals when the various stem blocks are disposed opposite the several work stations. During sprocket indexing motions, detent 26 is withdrawn by a linkage 28 of any convenient design operated by a cam St on continuously rotating shaft 20.

The drive mechanism in FIGS. 1A and 1B includes a further pair of earns 32 for rocking levers 34 which, through segmental gears 34a and pinions, 36a, cause rock shafts 36 to oscillate. These rock shafts extend along all the work stations. Their purpose is to operate the clamping mechanisms to be described for arresting and accurately locating the stem blocks 12 in the several work stations. Additionally, continuously rotating shaft 20 furnishes power for mechanically opening the various stem blocks at certain times in the sequence of operations. For this purpose shaft 20 carries a series of earns 38 which, through mechanism that includes cam followers 40 operate jaw opening wedges. The two cam followers 40 seen to the left in FIG. 1A are seen to operate through crank shafts 40' to actuate the jaw openers in the loading and unloading stations A and L.

The cams shown in FIG. 1A appear in end projection in FIG. 2, together with an end projection of the 10- cating and jaw-opening mechanism for the stem block at the respective stations. As seen in FIG. 2, each cam follower 34- at each station, caused to oscillate by a constrained cam 32 on common cam shaft 20, operates a segmental gear 34a which in turn oscillates pinions 36a (see also FIGS. 1A and 113) on rock shaft 36 in bracket 35. A separate pinion 36b is fixed to shaft 36 at each work station, and operates through a segmental gear 37 and link 36d to oscillate a lever 36s and a rock shaft 36' in the direction opposite rock shaft 36. Fixed to each of the common rock shafts 36 at both sides of FIG. 2 is a series of arms 36 one for each work station, and also fixed to rock shafts 36' is a further series of arms 36g. Pivotally supported on shafts 36 and 36' are additional arms 3611 and respectively. Arms 36f and 3611 at the respective stations are urged apart by coil spring 3% while arms Mg and are urged apart by coil springs 361:. The several sets of arms 36-f36h, and Sag-345i are held together by bolts 36m. Accordingly, as the respective arms 36 are oscillated counter-clockwise (at the left of FIG. 2) by rock shaft 36, the associated arms 3612 are yieldahly carried along. Similarly, as arms 36g are oscillated clockwise (at the left of FIG. 2) by rock shaft 383', arms 351' are yieldably carried along. Arms 3-5]: at the respective stations are seen to have lateral extensions engaging vertical slides 3611, each supporting a single pin 360, while arms 361' are seen to have extensions engaging slides 36p each supporting a vertically reciprocating pair of pins 366 These pins are shown also in FlG. 3. Each of the slides 36;) carries a stop 3dr engaging an adjustable screw stop 36;" fixed in the machine frame so as to limit the upward stroke of slide 35p.

The single pin 360 and the pair of pins 36!; reciprocate oppositely, asv a pair of jaws, for seizing the stem block it"; at times when the conveyor brings successive stem blocks oppositely, as a pair of jaws, for seizing the stem block 1ft while the conveyor remains at rest. Pins 36g raise the block yieldably to a fixed limit. Pin 360 yieldably drives the block in the opposite direction.

As arms rocking levers 34 positively constrain rocking shafts 36 and 36' to oscillate the mechanisms described, springs 35 and 36k transmit the oscillatory thrust to the pin 360 and the pins 36:; which seize each stem block. However, at each station, spring 36k is deliberately made substantially stronger than spring 36 and for this reason the upward stroke of the pin set 366 is more forceful than the downward stroke of pin 360.

Accordingly, the level at which each stem block is finally positioned is determined by the adjustment of screw 3dr. The downward stroke of pins 360 is adequate to grip the stem blocks but not so forceful as to depress pins se The foregoing mechanism will be seen to be the mechanical analogue of the pneumatic conveyor-block gripping mechanism in my copending application, Serial No. 790,570 filed December 9, 1947.

FIG. 2 shows the constrained cams 38 and the cam followers 4% which were previously described for the purpose of operating the stem-block jaws for seizing and releasing the stems. Specifically, cam followers 40 are seen to have arms 4% for driving opposed slides 40b outwardly. These slides carrying wedges 49c which engage the stern block jaws and periodically separate the jaws at times and in stations where necessary, as will be described in detail below. The stem block jaws are opened to receive a stern in the stem-loading station A and to release the completed stem in the stem-unloading sta'tiomL. Additionally, the jaws are quickly opened and closed in each of the two work stations immediately following the stem loading station, namely the lead trimming and swaging stations B and C. It will be understood that all of the cam shafts, drive shafts and slides described have bearings inframes 11 and 35, details of which need not be described.

The links of conveyor 12 carrying the stem blocks are shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 2A. Link 12a bearing a stern block 10 carries roller 12b and rollers 1201, behind of rail and in front of rail 120. The rollers 12:: and ll-Zd cooperate with the rail lie to guide the chain conveyor along an accurate path through the machine. A further fixed frame plate 12e overlies rearwardly projecting plates 122' on links 12a for preventing the links from tipping. Each of the stem-block supporting links 12a has an outwardly projecting bracket 12 for the block l0. Rollers 112d cooperate with the sprockets, while each roller 12b is received between the sprocket arms.

The operation of the mechanism described to this point will be readily understood. Main drive shaft 2% rotates continuously to drive sprocket l4 intermittently at a time. Sprocket i6 is driven by the chain conveyor, and supports and yieldably tensions the chain conveyor 12. Locking detent 26 is reciprocated in timed relationship to the indexing operation of sprocket 14 for arresting the conveyor in accurate indexed position and precluding movement of the drive sprocket 14 between indexing operations. Rock shafts 3s raise the respective single pins 360 and rock shafts 3o lower the respective sets of pins 36: for releasing the stem blocks it? during indexing and operate revcrsely for gripping the blocks 1i) when the chain conveyor 12 comes to rest. Adjustable stops 35?, with the effect of unequal springs 36k and 36 determine the elevation of the stern block if) when it is locked in position. At an appropriate time in the operating cycle of the machine, while the stem blocks are gripped by cooperating pins 360 and 36g, cam followers 40 operate wedges ltic to open the stem-block jaws, the details of which are described below. The links 12a of the chain conveyor 12; which carry the stem blocks iii are accurately guided along the path fixed by rail 12c and the cooperating rollers 7.25, 12d.

Stem Blocks The stem blocks it briefly described in connection with FiGS. Z and 2A are shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Each stem block id is suspended on the outwardly extending brackets 12 of the supporting conveyor link by pins Ella extending through enlarged bores in the bracket 12 one pin appearing at each side of the stem block it). Springs ltlb surround pins 16a and bias the body file downward as limited by pins 10d. Body the is formed with respective channeled and conical recesses lite providing bearing seats for the gripping pins 3'50 and Pin 3&0, in its conical seat lite, centers the block from left to right as viewed in FIG. 3. Body ltlc has a central insert ill constituting a seat for the glass header h, the insert ill being formed with a passage idg for receiving the projecting wires extending from header [1. In addition, a pair of passages 1011 on opposite sides of the insert 161 admit jaw opening wedges We when projected by the cam mechanism 43, 46a, and previously described.

The body the slidably supports a pair of vertically movable jaws llli and 14%;", disposed in front of insert Ill-f for pressing header [1 against the insert and for gripping and centering the header h. A pair of plates iii/c are fixed to the body lilc for slidably confining the jaws ltli and Ltlj. As seen in Fit 5, each side of upper jaw itli has a lateral extension Him that lies behind a similar lateral extension ldn on lower jaw ldj.

The upper and lower jaws lli and H91 are urged toward each other by a pair of inwardly spring biased wedges each of which has a compression coil spring lllp. Wedges lfio coact with sloping faces lt iz' of side notches in the lateral extensions ill]; of the lower jaw 10 and with slopfaces lilm' of side notches in lateral extensions 10111 of the upper jaw 15%.

inward pressure by compression springs 16p forces wedges 1&0 to concurrently raise the lower jaw 10 and depress the upper jaw ltli, to firmly grip the header [1. The jaws force the header It firmly against set 10 by virtue of sloping header-engaging surfaces Silt of the jaws.

Jaws rill and ltlj have reverscly sloping cam surfaces lit," and lids in their rear surfaces engaged by wedges 46c when it is neces ary to open these jaws.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the stem blocks id are relatively loosely suspended from brackets 12] of the conveyer l2 and accordingly the conveyer is only relied upon to transport the stem blocks id to successive positions to a first degree of accuracy. Thereafter, gripping and locating pins 36: and 3(0 accurately fix the location of the stem blocks it? after the conveyer 12 has come to rest. Between those brief intervals when wedges separate jaws 101' and 141], spring biased wedges too and urge jaws 101 and ltlj toward each other for resiliently gripping and centering the header h and for firmly seating the header. The headers are gripped at all times, both when the conveyor is advancing and when it is at rest, except in the four stations A, B, C and L as previously mentioned. By virtue of the stem-block gripping mechanism, which accurately locates the stem-block in each of the work stations, and the further header-gripping mechanism in the stem-block, the stem is successively positioned in the several work stations to a high degree of accuracy with front-to-rear and rotational orientation preserved continuously after it is once perfected.

The timing of the drive and indexing mechanism, utilized in the various stations to be described, is represented in FIG. 101. Sprocket 14 is intermittently advanced by any suitable continuous-to-intermittent drive means 13, illustrated in FIG. 101 to complete the conveyor advance in the interval 35 to 115. Gradual acceleration and deceleration, together with rapid operation, is to be desired. Cam 30, which operates conveyor detent 26, advances the detent into the path of the next pin 24 after the pin previously released has been carried part way around with the sprocket. Firm locking of the sprocket by cam 30 and detent 26 is effected after conveyor drive has ceased.

Cams 32 operate the stem-block gripping pins 350 and 36g to seize and release the stem-block at the beginning of each cycle of operation of the tools on the stems in the respective stations, blocks 10 being locked in place as early as practicable and being released as late as practicable. This is indicated by the timing curve 32 in FIG. 101 corresponding to the drive effected by cam 32 in FIGS. 1A and 2.

Cams 38 operate wedges 44) to release the stems in stations B, C, and L, and to open the stem holders arriving in station A. Each station requires its own cam 38 and its own timing curve 38 represented, in FIG. 101, as will be appreciated when considering the various stations A, B, C and L specifically.

Stem-Loading Station A A feature of the invention represented by the mechanism in station A involves the location of a part in a preliminary orientation followed in later stations by successive refinements in the preliminary orientation. This assures reliable performance of the assembly machine despite inaccuracies or loose tolerances in the dimensions and in the distribution of the parts involved.

An important consideration in assembling the electrodes on the stem 11 having the series of wires 1 to 9 inclusive molded in a predetermined pattern involves the accommodation of stems in which the highly flexible wires are in a predetermined arbitrary pattern. The wires may not be distributed in a precise predetermined pattern, due to a certain degree of required looseness of the wires when received in passages in the molding dies where the stem was formed. Much more serious is the fact of random deformation of the comparatively long and slender wires incidental to handling. After loading of stems, the machine corrects wire deformity.

The details of station A are shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 8A, 9, 10 and 10A, wherein there is illustrated mechanisms for initially loading a stem into the stem block 10 previously described. The loader not merely inserts a stem into the stem block 10 but additionally predetermines the orientation of the Wires 1 to 9 inclusive in relation to the stem block 10. There is no critical physical dimension which is utilized in the stem block 10 to predetermine the rotational orientation of the stern in the stem block, but instead, the stem loader itself is relied upon to insert the stem with particular wires in positions required for functioning of succeeding work station. Thus wires 6 and 7, considered as reference wires, are to be disposed one above the other in a vertical plane while the wires and the axis of the stem are horizontal. These conditions are obtained while the glass header is seated against the insert 10] in the stem block 10. Wire 7 is disposed above wire 6, and the remaining wires are distributed in the initial pattern determined by the glass molding operation. In station A, the stems are manually deposited on the blades of a feed plate turret, with no more than rough orientation required of the attendant. From this point, the mechanism performs automatically with progressively increasing precision in stem handling and in stem-wire tailoring, including straightening, cutting, pattern-adjustment and swaging of the wires.

In FIG. 6 the general organization of the stem-loading station A is shown, the mechanism for operating certain parts being shown in FIG. 8. The stem loading mechanism includes a step-wise advanced carrier or turret 41, a set of transfer fingers 42, a pair of transfer arms 4-4 and 45, a split-funnel wire guide 46, and the necessary operating mechanisms coordinated as shown in the cam chart of FIG. 102. In FIG. 10A there is shown a holder 41a of the carrier 41 having a blade 41b extending between reference wires 6 and 7 arranged on one side, and wires 1, 2, and 3 on the other side. Blade 41b is approximately the maximum thickness permitted by the separation of these two groups of wires and so may be said to be tightly confined or wedged between them. Whether tight or loose, the stem rests on the edge of its blade and is prevented from tipping radially on the turret by the length of the blade engaged by the glass of the stem and is further prevented from tipping across the blade edge by the width of the blade engaged by the wires. Blade 41b penetrates the extending array of wires and serves to initially determine the rotational position about the stem axis in which the stem is ultimately loaded into the stem block 10.

The stems h are loaded manually or by appropriate automatic mechanism onto the respective holders 41a, conveniently at the extreme left of turret 41 as seen in FIG. 6, and from this position the stems are indexed in the clock-wise direction, when looking down on the turret. As the turret 41 indexes, the stems are carried into a transfer position between transfer fingers 42 and the adjacent stem block 10 on the conveyor 12.

Turret 41 is supported on an upright shaft 410 journaled in a fixed bearing 41d. Supported on the lower face of turret 41 is a series of cam followers 41:; which (see also FIG. 7) cooperate with a constrained barrel cam 41 having an integral medial rib 41g filling the space between the two successive cam followers 411:. The rib 41g locks the turret 41 during part of the cam rotation. Additionally, barrel cam 41 has two curved runs 4% for producing the desired cam indexing motion. Barrel cam 41 rotates in a fixed bearing 411' and is driven by a sprocket and chain drive including a sprocket 41 a sprocket 41m, and a chain 41k trained over the sprockets. The sprocket 41m is on a secondary drive shaft 4112 driven through bevel gearing from unit drive shaft 41p, the latter being coupled, as described above, to the main drive shaft of the machine. A suitable single-revolution electromagnet-controlled clutch 23a is interposed in the main drive shaft connection of this unit to the main drive of the whole machine, for control by appropriate manual or automatic devices, and a like clutch is included in the drive connection of each of the other units driven by shaft 29. Turret 41 carries a stem h into range of trans fer fingers 42 for each revolution of the main drive 2! The purpose of transfer fingers 42 is to shift the particular stem on a blade 4111 on to an aligned blade 44a of the transfer arm 44. Transfer fingers 42, seen best in FIG. 8 (as viewed looking toward a stern block with turret 41 removed) are swingably supported on one end of a lever 42:: having a central pivot 42b and a cam follower 420 on its opposite end. The lever 42a is biased by spring 42d against upstanding edge cam 42; on the shaft 4112. 

1. A MOUNT MACHINE INCLUDING A STEM BLOCK SUPPORTING AN INITIALLY ORIENTED STEM HAVING PLURAL LEADS MOLDED INTO A BASE, AND A STATION FOR TRIMMING RESPECTIVE GROUPS OF LEADS INCLUDING COMBING TOOLS MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID STEM AXIS TO A LEAD-ENGAGING POSITION IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID BASE, SAID COMBING TOOLS IN SAID LEAD-ENGAGING POSITION HAVING COOPERATIVE CUTOUTS ARRANGED TO DEFINE A PREDETERMINED APERTURED PATTERN ABOUT SAID PLURAL LEADS CORRESPONDING TO THE MOLDED POSITION OF SAID LEADS, A CUTTING DIE SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM SAID STEM BLOCK AND FORMED WITH LEAD-RECEIVING BORES IN A PATTERN REGISTERING WITH SAID APERTURED PATTERN, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID COMBING TOOLS AXIALLY OF SAID LEADS AND TOWARD SAID CUTTING DIE WHEREBY THE LEADS ARE BROUGHT INTO ALIGNMENT WITH RESPECTIVE LEAD-RECEIVING BORES IN SAID CUTTING DIE, MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID CUTTING DIE THROUGH, A PREDETERMINED STROKE OVER THE PATTERNED ENDS OF SAID LEADS AND TOWARD SAID STEM BLOCK, AND MEANS OPERABLE IN TIMED RELATION TO ADVANCING OF SAID CUTTING DIE FOR RETRACTING SAID TOOLS FROM SAID LEAD-ENGAGING POSITION. 